3. Components:
1. What are drugs?
2. What are the classifications of drugs?
3. What are the uses of drugs?
4. When are drugs harmful and beneficial?
5. What are illegal drugs?
6. What are the reasons why people use illegal
drugs?
7. Drug issues in the society
8. Policies in Thailand about Drug Abuse and
Prevention
4. Introduction
• Humans have used drugs of one sort or
another for thousands of years
-wine was used at least from the time of the
early Egyptians
-narcotics from 4000 BC
-medicinal use of marijuana has been dated to
2737BC in China
5. Drug Education
• Teaching and communicating to help
people avoid harm caused by the abuse of
various drugs.
6. Drug
• Any substance (other than food) that alters
structure or function in living organisms
• A substance used in the
diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of a
disease or as a component of a
medication.
9. Difference between drugs and
medicines
From chemistry point of view, there is no
distinction between the terms drugs and
medicines, i.e., all drugs are medicines and all
medicines are drugs. However, our society and
law make a clear-cut distinction between these
two terms as follow:
A medicine is a chemical substance which cures
the disease, is safe to use, has negligible toxicity
and does not addiction. In contrast, a drug is a
chemical substance which also cures the
disease but is habit forming, causes addiction
and has serious side effects.
10. 1. Stimulants
Stimulants are drugs that stimulate the
Central Nervous System. These
substances tend to increase alertness and
physical activity. They include
Amphetamines, Cocaine, Crack and some
inhalants like Amyl or Butyl Nitrites.
Caffeine (present in tea, coffee and many
soft drinks) is also a mild stimulant drug.
11. 2. Depressants
These are substances that slow down or
depress the Central Nervous System.
Depressant drugs include alcohol,
barbiturates and tranquillizers. It's worth
remembering that, although alcohol is a
legal drug and can be purchased by any
person over 18 years old, it can be a
dangerous drug, particularly when abused.
12. 3. Analgesics
Analgesics are substances that provides
relief from pain. Mild analgesics, such as
the many brand-named preparations of
aspirin or paracetamol, are relatively
harmless.
13. 4. Hallucinogens
Hallucinogens - or psychedelics - are
drugs that affect a person's perception of
sights, sounds, touch, smell etc. Some of
the stronger hallucinogenic can exert a
powerful effect on a drug users thinking
and self-awareness.
14. 5. Alcohol
Alcohol is the common name for ethyl
alcohol. It's a Central Nervous System
depressant and is one of the most widely
used (and abused) drugs in our society.
15. 6. Amphetamines
Amphetamine, dextroamphetamine, and
methamphetamine are collectively referred
to as amphetamines. Their chemical
properties and actions are very similar.
These drugs stimulate the central nervous
system - that is, they increase activity in
the brain.
16. 7. Barbiturates
Barbiturates are central nervous system
depressants. They act in a similar manner
to alcohol and slow down many areas of
the brain. Drugs of this class are known as
sedative/hypnotics, in that they can be
used as sedatives to calm people and also
(at higher doses) as hypnotics to assist
sleep.
17. 8. Cannabis
Cannabis is a Central Nervous System
depressant obtained from the plant
Cannabis sativa, which grows in many
parts of the world. It is available for use as
a drug in three main forms: as the dried
leaves and buds, known as grass or
marijuana, as a solid resin (hashish or
hash) which is collected from the buds and
flower heads, and also as a thick liquid
prepared from the flowers or resin (hash
oil).
19. 10. Ecstasy
Ecstasy is an hallucinogenic stimulant. It is
a man-made drug with both hallucinogenic
and amphetamine-like properties. The
chemical name for ecstasy is 3,4
Methylenedioxymethylamphetamine - or
MDMA in short form. It's chemically similar
to two other synthetic drugs, MDA and
methamphetamine.
